These pictures are of the many sad memorials erected by friends & family to honor murder and other violence victims in the Washington DC area. These spontaneous, homemade, heartfelt creations are found on streets throughout the region. They are often the only physical tribute to the many slaying victims.
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Tuesday, July 31, 2012

This street memorial honors Mr. Tommy K. Wong, 52, who was murdered about
4:00 PM Friday July 27, 2012, in his store, Capital Jewelers, 3219
Columbia Pike, in Arlington, Virginia. Video cameras show that he was murdered
during a robbery. His death was discovered by his family after he did
not come home that evening. Arlington Police are currently searching for the
suspect, whose image was captured by the security cameras.

The memorial was erected by family and members of the tight-knit local business community, many of whom are also immigrants operating small enterprises in this highly-diverse neighborhood.

Mr. Wong has been described by friends, family, and other members of the
Columbia Pike business community as a kind, dedicated
family man, and his loss has been devastating to those who knew him.

May his memory be for a blessing, and peace return to his family and community.

The Washington Post has published interviews and other information about this sad turn of events. It can be viewed here.

This is the first street memorial to a homicide victim that I have found in Arlington. After a more than two year peace, there have been three slayings in Arlington this past month.

Tuesday, July 24, 2012

A spontaneous street shrine has been erected to Edgar Aguilar, who was killed in a bus accident at this site on Columbia Pike in Arlington, Virginia, near the intersection with South Four Mile Run.

According to the news blog ArlNow,
"a video was taken on the evening of July 1, 2012. Just minutes prior
to the start of the video, a man had been struck by a car on Columbia
Pike near the intersection with Four Mile Run Drive, which was darkened
due to power outages in the area following the June 29 derecho. The
video shows the bus pulling up to the scene, which was next to a bus
stop. The man’s bloodied body — blurred out by police — is lying on the
sidewalk.
With the bus stopped, passengers file past the man’s body. Although
someone had called 911 — lights from police cars heading to the scene
can be seen in the background — not a single person stops to check on
the man, who was either dead or dying. A woman carrying shopping bags
walks right by, without hesitation. One man crosses himself after
getting on the bus.
Police say they released the video in a “good faith effort” to get
witnesses to the accident to step forward. Detectives are not looking to
charge anybody in the video with any wrongdoing — they just want them
to “come forward and say ‘this is what happened, this is what we saw,’”
according to Arlington County Police spokesman Dustin Sternbeck.
“The intent is solely to get these witnesses to… assist police in the
reconstruction of what happened that night,” Sternbeck said. “The intent
is not to say these individuals are accountable for anything.”
Sternbeck noted that the driver of the striking vehicle “has been very
cooperative,” but the case is still open. Charges could still be filed
if the driver is thought to be at fault."

It is the first street memorial I have documented in either Arlington or Alexandria.

Thursday, July 19, 2012

From a DC police report: On Saturday, June 23, 2012, at approximately 1:51 am, Fourth District officers responded to the 500 block of Crittenden Street NW , Washington DC, to investigate a report of a shooting. Once they arrived on the scene, officers located an adult male suffering from apparent gunshot wounds. DC Fire and EMS transported the victim, identified as Antione Bates, 23, to a local hospital where he succumbed to his injuries.

From a DC police report: On Sunday, July 8, 2012 at approximately 12:04 am members of the Seventh District responded to the 1700 block of Galen Street SE, Washington DC, for the report of a shooting. Upon arrival, they located an adult male victim unconscious and suffering from multiple gunshot wounds. DC Fire and EMS determined there were no signs of life. The victim, identified as Davon Brown, 22, was later pronounced dead by a member of the Office of Chief Medical Examiner. A second victim was located in the 2300 block of Green Street, SE with multiple gunshot wounds and was transported by personnel from DC Fire and EMS to an area hospital.

From a DC police report: On Saturday, July 7, 2012, at approximately 9:50 pm units from the Sixth District responded to the 5300 block of Ames Street NE, Washington DC, for the report of a stabbing. Upon arrival, they located two adult males suffering from stab wounds. Both victims were transported to a local hospital where one victim was admitted for treatment. The other victim identified as Charles Anthony Scott Jr , 20, succumbed to his wounds and was pronounced dead.

From a DC police report: On Wednesday, July 4, 2012, at approximately 8:03 pm, members of the Fourth District responded to the 5000 block of First Street NW, Washington, DC, for the report of a shooting. Upon their arrival, they located one adult male and two juveniles suffering from apparent gunshot wounds. DC Fire and EMS responded to the scene and transported all three victims to an area hospital where two of the victims were admitted in serious condition and the third victim, identified as Crevontai Key, 19, later succumbed to his injuries and was pronounced dead. A fourth victim was transported by a family member to an area hospital, where he was treated and released.

This memorial in the 5700 block of Jost Street in Fairmount Heights, MD, is for George Waymer Jr., 16, of Washington DC, who was shot and killed on Sunday, July 8, 2012.

A moving article in the Washington Post quotes his bereaved father “He was a good kid. He was a lovable kid,” Waymer said. “I guess he was just at the wrong place at the wrong time” and that "his son had no enemies that he knew of, and he did not know why
someone would shoot him. He said the boys who were with his son told him
that the shooter was in a light-blue car.
“Whoever
was in the car just got out and started shooting,” Waymer said. “These
kids are just taking each other’s life like it ain’t nothing, man. It’s
crazy.”

The box of hair clippers at the memorial are to show the young man's love of cutting hair.

The memorial is just a block over the District line in nearby Fairmount Heights. There were about a dozen pairs of discarded police evidence technicians gloves scattered around the site, which I had never encountered previously.